Passengers have been left waiting for hours and stranded in train stations after services to the South West were thrown into confusion when a person was hit by a train.

The incident happened near Taunton on Monday afternoon (February 26) and all services were suspended while the emergency services were called. The condition of the person involved is not known.

The lines reopened at about 5.30pm but by then the cancellation of various train services had created widespread chaos and a backlog of passengers.

A CrossCountry train

Caught up in the confusion was Cornwall Live’s Lee Trewhela, who had been in London to celebrate and document the Cornish Pasty Takeover. It had been a busy day as the group from Cornwall braved the freezing winds to promoted Cornish pasties at a host of London landmarks.

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GWR tweeted: "A person has been hit by a train between Exeter St Davids and Taunton. Train services running between these stations may be delayed or cancelled. Road transport is being arranged between Taunton and Exeter St Davids via Tiverton Parkway."

In a further statement it said: "Due to a person being hit by a train between Exeter St Davids and Taunton all lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 18:00 26/02.Train services between Exeter St Davids and Taunton may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.

"CrossCountry are conveying passengers between Bristol Parkway and Penzance in both directions until further notice.

"For more detailed information please contact a member of station staff or make use of the Customer Help Point systems available.

Please allow more time for your intended journey."

In an effort to get people moving, all passengers on GWR services which had been stopped on the other side of Taunton or delayed, have been able to switch to CrossCountry trains between Bristol and Penzance.